Amtrak began serving customers on May 1, 1971, taking over the operation for most intercity passenger train.
Amtrak
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Amtrak began serving customers on May 1, 1971, taking over the operation for most intercity passenger train.
Amtrak
Continuing its FY18 success, Amtrak is on track for its best year as the company celebrates its 48th year of operations. Fiscal year ridership is up 1.3% through March over FY18, and Amtrak is heading toward breakeven on an operating earnings basis by FY21.
Following the enactment of the Rail Passenger Service Act in 1970, Amtrak began serving customers on May 1, 1971, taking over the operation for most intercity passenger trains then operated by private railroads in exchange for access to their respective networks, thus preserving intercity passenger rail service across America. With demonstrated success under new leadership and growing demand for passenger rail, it’s a pivotal time for America’s Railroad® to reinforce the promises made 48 years ago and to reassess Amtrak’s network for the next 50 years.
“We are changing intercity passenger rail to meet the needs of America – modernizing our trains and stations, improving on-time performance, and adding contemporary amenities — making it the preferred mode of travel for customers,” said Amtrak President & CEO Richard Anderson. “We are experiencing record growth, and we look forward to working with Congress to further invest in our rail infrastructure to better serve the changing landscape of our nation.”
With much of Amtrak’s infrastructure dating to the early 1900s and most of Amtrak’s equipment nearing the end of its useful life, considerable investments are needed to address increased highway congestion, rapid urbanization, and the threats posed by our changing climate.
Amtrak
Additionally, millennials and aging populations are changing the overall travel landscape, forming new markets, with many of the fastest growing markets having limited or no intercity passenger rail service. “We have been building a successful company over the last several years: best-ever operating performance, record ridership and revenue, and the highest ever capital spend,” said Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia.
“We have the potential to meaningfully enhance how this country moves in the future, to provide frequent and reliable, city-to-city passenger rail service.”
Last month, Amtrak submitted its 5 Year Plans, which provide a comprehensive strategic and financial view of the services that Amtrak provides its customers along with its General and Legislative Annual Report to Congress. Amtrak is preparing to transmit a comprehensive reauthorization proposal to Congress later this year as the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act is set to expire.
Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.
The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.
Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.
Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.
